Cultivation of Graft Land. Stocking Pajl tires, Points fa Be regarded. 477 



evident in all the coarfer forts of grafs plants, and fully explains the utility of keep 

 ing them clofely fed down, as by fuch means a more abundant graffy herbage is* 

 provided for the fupport of flock.. There are various obfervations thatfeem to 

 fupport this opinion. Thus, it has been recommended to flock pafture lands in 

 fuch a manner as will keep the grafs in a young fucculent flate; as in this way 

 there is a benefit, by the whole of the produce being confumed, and at the fame 

 time the items of the grafs plants are prevented from feeding, which exhaufls the 

 roots and the larids ;. the foil is of courfe prefervcd in a better flate of fertility,. 

 more moots are thrown out, the fward is rendered more elofe, and a more conftant 

 verdure kept up. &quot; The true principle of grazing,&quot; in the opinion of the fame 

 writer, &quot; is to eattf//, and particularly at thofe feafons when vegetation is rapid, that 

 it may not weaken the turf and foil, but, by keeping the grafs in a young flate,, 

 have the moors more vigorous.&quot; 



As for the purpofe of feeding the larger- forts of neat cattle, it is neceflary for 

 the grafs to have grown to a pretty full bite before they are turned in, and of courfe 

 numerous feed-flems to be formed ; it feems not improbable, but that the fuperior- 

 benefit of feeding with fheep may depend upon the circumftance of their eating. 

 more clofely, and thereby preventing fuch effects from taking place. 



In the flocking of pafture grounds the growth of the grafs mould be particularly 

 attended to, and the proportion of flock adapted to it ; care being always taken to 1 

 Iiave a full proportion during the fummer month s^ from May to Augufl ; a proper 

 refer ve being then made for the winter feafon.t In this bufinefs the farmer mould 

 be as careful as pofiible to neither over or under llock, as by either means he mufl 

 fuilain lofs and inconvenience. 



There is another, point, in refped to the eating down of pafture lands, upon- 

 which farmers differ very greatly in their opinions, each contending for: the p r o~- 

 priety of their pradlice on the ground of experience : this is thatof giving the cat 

 tle, of whatever fort they may be, the whole range of the lands, however ex ten five,, 

 at once, or. by having them divided fo as ta let them have the* grafs at different, 

 times in a frefli unbroken flate. The queflion does not appear to have been exa 

 mined in that view, or with that, degree of attention which is fufficient to fully 

 decide the matter ; and there are obviouily various circumflances, fuch as thofe 

 of; the inequality of grounds and flocks, which mufl continually operate again flit* 



* Price, jn Annals of Agriculture, vol. XXL i Ibid, 



